And Her Heart Crumpled Like Paper
by vintage-galaxies
Summary: "Why...why are you so mean to everyone else but me?" After a few seconds, Alison responded. 'Because you're beautiful." Emison oneshot, kinda angsty, I hope you enjoy :)


"Come on!" Alison said. "Move!"

Hanna scrambled to stand up, crumbs falling off her belted tunic. She tried to pick up the Doritos, but Ali had pushed her onto the floor, saying with a grimace, "I thought you could pick up food faster. You do seem to eat fast." _Seriously_, Alison thought as she wiped off her Hollister jeans. _She eats, like, a donut a day. God._

Aria walked in, her pink hair waving around her face in layers. Her smile instantly turned into a frown. "Han, are you okay?"

Hanna began to speak, but Alison cut her off. "She's fine. She just can't seem to stop wearing belts on her waist. Is that right, _pig?_"

Hanna nodded weakly and began to cry, her breath coming out in small sobs. Aria jiggled her bracelets, looking uncomfortable. What could she do? If she said anything else, she'd be a freak too. But friends stood up for each other, right?

"Ali?" Aria said softly. "Can you leave her alone please?" The last part was a squeak.

Alison looked at her in disbelief, standing up. Her heels helped her stand taller and Aria quivered behind her tall figure. "You're helping her? She would be _nothing_ without me. She's lucky I even _know_ her. Aren't you?"

Hanna looked down, unable to battle the thoughts in her brain. _You're fat. You don't stand a chance. Stop eating food. You're disgusting._ And the last one, which always scared Hanna to death: _Just go kill yourself_.

Aria stared at her bracelets again. She hated when Ali made her feel so small. It was like they were her puppets, and Ali was the leader. She _had_ to have had some secrets, right? She had to have had something that would break her. Nobody was invincible, not even Alison Dilaurentis.

Ali sat back down and patted the seats on her left and right. "Aria? Hanna? I'm watching Jersey Shore. Come watch it with me." Aria and Hanna slowly got up and sat next to Alison, feeling regret like a crashing wave. Hanna got up quickly and walked toward the Dilaurentis' pantry, searching for any comfort food. She always ate food when she was upset. Of course, there wasn't anything with a large amount of fat or sugar, so Hanna tried to feel content with whole grain crackers. (She wasn't.)

Just then, Emily walked in the living room, her hair wrapped in a towel. Ali turned around and gave her a questioning look, but Emily answered before she could ask. "Swim practice. What are you watching?"

"Jersey Shore. Wanna sit and watch it with us?" She looked at Aria, who gave a fake smile.

Emily nodded. "Yeah. Just let me get something to drink." She grabbed a glass and pushed it against the button on the fridge. She pressed her head against the cool metal, trying to breathe and _not_ imagine Ali's hair flowing in the wind, or her dazzling teeth, or her deep blue eyes that ripped Emily's heart in half, or her small, delicate hands, or how they would fit perfectly into hers, two opposites that could rule the world together, one perfect masterpiece-

"Em? Your glass." Alison's voice made her head snap up. She hadn't realized the water was spilling onto the tile. Emily jerked her hand back, making even more water fall.

There was a few clumps down the stairs, and then Spencer Hastings emerged, her hair wrapped in a tight bun. She gripped a piece of paper in her long fingers.

"Were you in my room?" Alison asked accusingly. She stood up and stretched, and then walked up to Spencer.

"I just needed your textbook for a minute, chill. I left mine in my locker."

Ali gave a smug smile. "So, perfect Spencer Hastings isn't so perfect anymore? I wonder what Mommy and Daddy would say..."

"Shut up." Spencer's voice was firm. Emily thought she saw a flash of fear go through Ali's face, but it had gone as quickly as it had come. Spencer and Alison were both the same height with the added heels worn by both of the girls.

"Make me."

"You wish."

"Nerd."

"Grow up."

"Whatever, _Melissa_."

"I said, shut up!" Spencer stormed out the door and slammed it shut, creating an awkward silence. After Spencer was gone, Ali gave a low whistle.

"Someone's angry." Ali sat back down on the couch and looked back up at Emily. "Are you gonna join me or do I have to go over there and make you?"

Emily began to blush, but she willed herself to walk over and sit next to Ali.

"Hi," Emily whispered. "Did you have homework?"

"Yeah." A ring erupted from Alison's phone, and she grabbed it before anyone could read it.

_Like the shoes. But you know how it goes. Even liars can't run in high heels. - A_

"Who's it from?" Aria asked, turning to look at the phone. Ali quickly hid it, saying, "You wouldn't know her."

Secretly, Ali was being tortured by someone who called themselves A. She didn't know who it was, although she did have some ideas. _Cece? Paige?...Courtney?_

The door opened and closed, and then Mrs. Dilaurentis walked in, her hair in a chignon. "Alison? Can you please wash the dishes?"

Ali gave a long, dramatic sigh. "Mooooom. Can't we wait for the housekeeper to get here?"

"I'm having some guests over. If they," she pointed to Emily, Aria and Hanna, "are going to stay here, you four need to go upstairs." Alison tried to speak, but Mrs. Dilaurentis cut her off. "Now."

Ali stood up and pointed to Emily, Hanna, and Aria. "Do you guys want to stay here?"

Aria scratched her head. "Um, I have some homework…"

Hanna finished the crackers and pointed at Aria. "What she said."

They both scuttled off and soon it was just Alison and Emily. Alison spoke quickly. "Are _you_ going to stay? Looks like everyone else abandoned me."

Emily almost muttered an excuse. _My parents want me home today. I have plans. I need to finish my homework._ But before she changed her mind, she said, "Sure! I don't really have anything else to do." Ali gave her an award-winning smile, then walked swiftly to the kitchen and opened the dishwasher. "Mom, are these clean?"

Mrs. Dilaurentis nodded and Alison began to put plates in. Without looking up, Ali said, "So are you going to stare at me the whole time or are you going to finish your homework?"

Emily blushed and looked down at her homework assignment. The words and numbers jumbled together, and all she could think was _Ali, Ali, Ali._

Ten minutes later, after Emily had doodled random words in cursive all around her math problems, Ali finally spoke. "Done. Come on." She hopped upstairs, and Emily quickly followed.

Emily smiled when she turned into the doorway of Alison's room. The walls were pale pink, and it always seem cozy.

"It's always so nice in here," Alison sighed. "Too bad the other girls aren't here to see it." She snorted. "I swear, it's like they don't want to be my friend anymore."

"Yeah," Emily said softly. "It probably sucks." And she was serious. Who _wouldn't_ want to be friends with Alison Dilaurentis?

Alison stared at her reflection in the vanity. "I don't have a zit or something, do I?"

Emily chuckled. "No, you're fine. But what you did in there with Hanna was kinda mean."

"She needs to know her place. She can't act like she rules the world, because she never will be able to. I'm just trying to help her get used to the idea." Alison stared at her blue eyes in the mirror for a moment more, then hopped up to the TV and tossed Emily the remote. "What do you want to watch? I got plenty of movies to keep me busy while Mom has her friends over."

"Um...I don't care. Pick whatever you want." Emily wasn't used to being able to pick. Alison usually picked a movie herself, and they had to watch what she wanted.

Alison pulled out a slim DVD case from her bookshelf (which actually had no books). "Romeo and Juliet?" Emily shook her head. "Why?"

"It's so...cheesy."

"It is not."

"Uh, yeah it is."

"I like it."

"Come on," Emily whined. "Can't we watch something I want to see?" She gave Alison a grin, although she knew nothing would change her mind. "Please?"

"Fine. You can choose something. Want some popcorn?" Emily nodded and Alison hopped down the steps.

Emily looked at the room and breathed in the vanilla scent. Everything was so _Ali_, and it wrapped around Emily like a blanket. Her pink sheets were in a stack on a chair by the doorway, her teddy bear on the middle of her queen sized bed. Her journal was locked on top of her nightstand, and Emily couldn't help but feel a pang of curiosity. _What would be _in_ that journal? Tips on how to torture your friends?_ Emily snorted. That was a thing that Spencer would totally say. _"What's next, a torture chamber? A book of comebacks?"_

Emily stared at her own reflection in the vanity. To Emily, her dark brown eyes were boring and dull. But Ali's, Ali's deep blue eyes as bright as the sky and as calm as the ocean, Ali's eyes were beautiful. If only Ali could see herself how much Emily found her beautiful.

"I'm back! You wanted the low-fat popcorn, right?" Alison pranced to the bed as Emily snapped out of her daze.

"Uh, yeah, that's good."

"Did you choose a movie?"

"No. Sorry. You can just choose whatever."

"Are you okay? You seem to be out of it today." Emily stood up and grabbed Alison's hairbrush, buying time.

She could tell Alison right now. _Alison, I have loved you since the day I met you, when I saw your face in the halls and I thought _God, she is beautiful_ and I wanted to scream because I didn't know what was happening, just that you were the most beautiful creature that has ever graced the planet and I have loved you since and I wanted to tell you this but I couldn't. I can't._

Instead, Emily just stared out of the window and made up an excuse. "I can't beat my time on the butterfly in swim practice. That's probably it."

"No, it's not. I know you. You're never like this." Alison grabbed Emily's arm and Emily stopped, frozen. Her hair stood on end and she just stared at Alison's long, pale fingers resting on Emily's slightly darker arm.

Emily jerked back, her eyes going wide. She stammered up and headed for the door. "I have to go, my parents want me home."

Alison's eyebrows knitted in confusion. "But you said you could be here-"

"I have to go."

She was almost to the stairs when Alison called out, "Why can't you stay?"

Emily stopped. Her heartbeat sped up. She walked back in the room where Alison stared at her with a pained look. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you're the only one who sticks with me. All the other girls hate me, and yet _you_ decided to stay. Please. Don't be like the other girls."

Emily's heart melted seeing Alison so revealed. So open. So...pained.

"Fine, yeah, yeah, sure. I guess they can wait." And she saw Alison's smile and thought back to the harsh words she had said at Hanna, the looks of hatred on both of their faces. Alison was horrible, and rude, and manipulative, so why was she standing here, watching Alison crumple like paper?

"Why...why are you so mean to everyone but me?" Emily sat down next to Alison and felt her heart speed up, waiting for Ali's response.

After a few seconds, Alison responded. "Because you're beautiful."

"I'm….beautiful? What do you mean by tha-"

"You're just...beautiful. Your soul. Everything. Can I…" Tentatively, Alison scooted next to Emily and placed her hand on Emily's fingers. Electricity crackled into Emily, and she stared at Alison, wishing she could read her mind.

Alison moved her head forward and kissed Emily. _What's going on? _But Emily soon melted, feeling Alison's soft lips brush against her own, two hearts beating as one, two souls merging together in a rush of passion.

Their hands laced together, and Emily's head swam, feeling the reality settle in. She was kissing _Alison_, the girl that nobody could touch. Yet, here she was, feeling her small fingers intertwined with the one person she truly loved.

Alison broke off the kiss and smiled, a warm smile that made her whole body glow. "God, you don't know how long I've waited for that."

"Yeah, me too." Emily's cheeks were on fire, and her whole being felt free, like a weight was lifted off her chest.

A knock on the door made them freeze. "Girls?"

Alison spoke softly. "Yeah, Mom?"

"Can I come in for a second?"

Alison and Emily stared wide-eyed at each other and broke apart. "Sure."

Mrs. Dilaurentis walked in, a disapproving glare on her face. Emily's breath hitched in her throat. _Oh God, she heard us. We're dead_.

"I heard your conversation earlier." Her voice was stern, and the girls' faces went white. "Did you guys finish your homework yet?"

Emily let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding in. "Um, I finished mine, but I don't know if Ali finished hers." She turned toward Alison, who had an ecstatic grin stretched on her face.

"Yeah, I finished it before the girls got here. Did your friends leave yet?"

Mrs. Dilaurentis's eyebrows furrowed. "Not yet. You girls have only been up here for ten minutes."

_Really?_ Emily thought. It felt like they had been upstairs for ages. She looked at Alison and knew she was thinking the exact same thing.

Ali faked an annoyed glare. "I finished my homework, so why are you still here?"

"What, I can't chat with my daughter and her friend?"

"Not right now. You have guests, Mom. Go pour them some wine."

Mrs. Dilaurentis laughed and began to walk downstairs, saying, "Love you, Ali!" Ali ignored her and stood up to close the door.

She stared at Emily and beamed. "You _are_ spending the night, right?"

"How could I not?" She sat next to Emily and laced their fingers together. "Let's watch Romeo and Juliet."


End file.
